hi colm, for frequency synthesizers:
ebay, ali-express, and i think amazon have some synth boards with display and controls that go to 4.4 GHz for about $150. ds instruments has nicer synths (enclosed, usb/ethernet control, front panel display and controls) that cost $400 to $2K, and go up to 22 GHz. valon technology has nice synths that go to 15 GHz - they need an external computer to control them (via usb or ethernet), or you can set them to boot up at a particular frequency. for mixers, filters, splitters, attenuators, couplers, hybrids, etc, you likely know you can purchase inexpensive connectorized units from minicircuits. best wishes, dan On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 10:17 AM 'Hawkins, David W (US 334B)' via casper@lists.berkeley.edu <casper@lists.berkeley.edu> wrote: > Hi Colm, > > > > >> Maybe using the RF SoC for just generating/re-sampling the baseband > signal might be straight forward enough for this project... > > > > Right. I was suggesting thinking of the RFSoC as “just” a piece of test > equipment. If the PYNQ layer abstracts the fact that it is an FPGA, and the > students are just programming the RFSoC using Python, then it does not > matter that it is not a Keysight AWG or Spectrum Analyzer that they are > communicating with. Then later, they can move into the FPGA firmware design > if they are interested. > > > > >> Regarding the available open-source PyNQ Notebooks; are these straight > forward to edit, to do things like sweeping the DAC frequency? > > > > I haven’t tried yet. I had a couple of RFSoC boards show up recently. I’ll > write a detailed tutorial on using them, so will be able to answer that > question eventually. > > > > I know lots of CASPER folks have been using the RFSoC devices, so they > will be able to share their success 😊 > > > > >> For the analogue components, I have been looking at X-Microwave > oscillators, mixers, > > > > Mini-circuits have a lot of cheap RF components, and they work well enough. > > > > If you have a list of RF components you are considering, I could sent it > to an RF engineer for his thoughts. You can post it here, and I’ll post the > response here too. > > > > Regards, > Dave > > > > > > *From:* casper@lists.berkeley.edu <casper@lists.berkeley.edu> *On Behalf > Of *Colm Bracken > *Sent:* Wednesday, August 16, 2023 10:07 AM > *To:* casper@lists.berkeley.edu > *Subject:* [EXTERNAL] [casper] Re: Advice for radio astronomy components > student project > > > > Hi David, > > > > Many thanks for your reply. > > Yes, we are working with the RF SoC boards for another project, so I have > access to those. > > But for this new project, we were hoping to avoid FPGAs. We are aiming for > a more simple system that will allow physics students (without FPGA > experience) to perform characterisation of upmixed/down-mixed signals. > > Maybe using the RF SoC for just generating/re-sampling the baseband signal > might be straight forward enough for this project... > > Regarding the available open-source PyNQ Notebooks; are these straight > forward to edit, to do things like sweeping the DAC frequency? > > > > For the analogue components, I have been looking at X-Microwave > oscillators, mixers, and filters today (since posting my original message) > - they look nice from what I can see. > > > > Thanks, > > Colm > > > > > > > > > > On Wed 16 Aug 2023, 11:24 AM Colm Bracken, <colmbrac...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Casper, > > > > I hope you are all well today! > > > > I am hoping some of you might have some advice/ideas for > easily-intefaceable RF components. > > I want to purchase signal generators (~100 MHz), and a range of local > oscillators for a student project. > > Ideally I am looking for components that easy to interface with via python > (or Matlab if necessary). The aim of the project is to develop a new > readout system employing both homodyne and heterodyne techniques, with RF > freq's between 4 and 8 GHz (baseband from DC to ~ 100 MHZ). > > > > Any useful ideas would be very much appreciated. Again, emphasis is on > ease-of interfacing. > > > > Kind regards, > > Colm > > > -- > > *Dr Colm Bracken* > Lecturer > Maynooth University Experimental Physics > > > Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland. > > T: +353 1 708 3641 > E: colm.brac...@mu.ie W: www.maynoothuniversity.ie > <https://urldefense.us/v3/__http:/www.maynoothuniversity.ie__;!!PvBDto6Hs4WbVuu7!OJqjnrk9jFqVO049FX3OYtbgT9sjYnmVaWuOfRsgldZnn3fW4IbU5WjReivXr4ERG8RpZMdT20H1vZ7bmm9ZPxwNGmr5jgM$> > > Follow my work on https://nuim.academia.edu/ColmBracken > <https://urldefense.us/v3/__https:/nuim.academia.edu/ColmBracken__;!!PvBDto6Hs4WbVuu7!OJqjnrk9jFqVO049FX3OYtbgT9sjYnmVaWuOfRsgldZnn3fW4IbU5WjReivXr4ERG8RpZMdT20H1vZ7bmm9ZPxwNnp5Ja2k$> > > > > And > > > > Research Associate > > Astronomy & Astrophysics Section > School of Cosmic Physics > Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies > 31 Fitzwilliam Place > Dublin 2, D02 XF86 > > > > > > T: +353 1 440 6656 ext 352 > E: cbrac...@cp.dias.ie W: www.dias.ie/2017/06/22/dr-colm-bracken > <https://urldefense.us/v3/__https:/www.dias.ie/2017/06/22/dr-colm-bracken__;!!PvBDto6Hs4WbVuu7!OJqjnrk9jFqVO049FX3OYtbgT9sjYnmVaWuOfRsgldZnn3fW4IbU5WjReivXr4ERG8RpZMdT20H1vZ7bmm9ZPxwNqrA4Tz0$> > > Follow my work on https://nuim.academia.edu/ColmBracken > <https://urldefense.us/v3/__https:/nuim.academia.edu/ColmBracken__;!!PvBDto6Hs4WbVuu7!OJqjnrk9jFqVO049FX3OYtbgT9sjYnmVaWuOfRsgldZnn3fW4IbU5WjReivXr4ERG8RpZMdT20H1vZ7bmm9ZPxwNnp5Ja2k$> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups " > casper@lists.berkeley.edu" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to casper+unsubscr...@lists.berkeley.edu. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/a/lists.berkeley.edu/d/msgid/casper/CAEx9wh_RBwdZ3MWYg-rHVbxSwBczy6%3D1SFyrhG2smxDcxoyoZA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://urldefense.us/v3/__https:/groups.google.com/a/lists.berkeley.edu/d/msgid/casper/CAEx9wh_RBwdZ3MWYg-rHVbxSwBczy6*3D1SFyrhG2smxDcxoyoZA*40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer__;JSU!!PvBDto6Hs4WbVuu7!OJqjnrk9jFqVO049FX3OYtbgT9sjYnmVaWuOfRsgldZnn3fW4IbU5WjReivXr4ERG8RpZMdT20H1vZ7bmm9ZPxwNkjiByeQ$> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups " > casper@lists.berkeley.edu" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to casper+unsubscr...@lists.berkeley.edu. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/a/lists.berkeley.edu/d/msgid/casper/DM6PR09MB51573E2E1DD3FC82F0CBA1AF8715A%40DM6PR09MB5157.namprd09.prod.outlook.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/lists.berkeley.edu/d/msgid/casper/DM6PR09MB51573E2E1DD3FC82F0CBA1AF8715A%40DM6PR09MB5157.namprd09.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "casper@lists.berkeley.edu" group. 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